My lethal binge eating left me weighing 33st – until 5-word revelation & 3-stage plan helped me shed 19st

DAVID John Castañeda was convinced his “out of control” binge eating would kill him, as it left him weighing over 33st. At 19, David said his thoughts were “consumed” by hunger and he used to eat until it “physically hurt”. Trapped in a cycle of binge eating, David feared it would kill him Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa But he shed 19st thanks to a three-stage plan Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa His efforts to lose weight kept failing, as he always ended up gaining more than he had lost. But five-word revelation totally shifted his mindset in 2023. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! David, from Texas, said: “I spent a lot of time asking myself why I could never stick with it. “Eventually, I realised it wasn’t the diet that intimidated me; it was how long it would take. David was intimidated but how long it would take to see results Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa But he realised ‘time waits for no man’ Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa “The thought of having to fight the urge to quit my habits every single day for years felt overwhelming. “Then I changed my perspective completely: ‘time waits for no one’.” At his heaviest, David weighed 33st 2lbs. But in just under three years, he managed to lose 19st 7lbs, thanks to a three- stage plan – and now he’s “unrecognisable” transformation. Most read in Health Now 22 and a weight loss coach, David says: “I feel like I’m truly living instead of existing for the first time in my life.” Before his weight loss, David used eat an eight-egg omelette with cheese, ham and bacon for breakfast, followed by an entire packet of pasta with beef or chicken and “countless” slices of bread, as well as large stacks of tortillas with each meal. At dinner, it’d be more meat and a large portion of rice. Snack-wise, bowls of cereal, crisps, popcorn and ice cream were his go-to’s. David almost gave up multiple times Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa But then he started to see results Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa “The constant battle with hunger consumed my thoughts and wore me down,” he recalled. “I didn’t exercise and my eating was out of control. “I wasn’t doing it because I was hungry – it was because it had become a habit. “I had lost the ability to recognise when enough was enough. “My body was also covered in bedsores; I had discolouring in my neck and insulin resistance. “Even the scales stopped registering how much I weighed after a while, as it didn’t have enough figures.” Everything shifted in October 2023, as David realised: “Whether I chose to change or not, the months and years were going to pass anyway. “I could either stay where I was and have nothing to show for that time. The 22-year-old is now ‘unrecognisable’ Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa David pictured in June 2026 Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa “Or I could use that time to become the person I wanted to be.” To get his appetite under control, David tried the keto diet, which he combined with fasting. He then transitioned into a calorie deficit – meaning he burned more calories than he consumed – to maintain weight loss. He hated the gym at first, but he “forced” himself to show up each day. David said: “I was embarrassed because I was extremely overweight and wasn’t very strong. “I constantly worried about people watching or judging me. “Over time, though, the gym became a place where I challenged myself, instead of somewhere I feared.” He battled with giving up multiple times, especially when results took longer than expected. David feels much more confident now that he’s ‘proven himself’ Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa ‘I’m able to do things I never thought were possible,’ he says Credit: Jam Press/@djcastanedaa But, within just under three years, he’s lost 19st 7lbs. Now, David focuses on eating lean protein sources, such as chicken breast and ground beef, along with vegetables, potatoes and eggs. He aims to eat around 200g of protein per day, with 60g of fat and 250g of carbohydrates. David added: “I tell everyone that losing weight naturally, as opposed to using weight loss drugs, is very different. “It gives you a mindset that cannot simply be injected. “Every battle is just that much harder. “Now, physically, I’m able to do things I never thought were possible. “There were times I couldn’t run a mile; now I can do 5K in under 30 minutes. “My confidence doesn’t come from the way I look – it’s come from what I’ve proven to myself. “Before, I spent a lot of time imagining the life I wanted. “If there’s something I want to do now, I get up and do it.” Comment now